


Slipping Off A String

by peachchild



Category: Being Human (UK), The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-12
Updated: 2013-12-12
Packaged: 2018-01-04 10:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1079971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachchild/pseuds/peachchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My mum always said that pearls were for lovers."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slipping Off A String

**Author's Note:**

  * For [monkeydra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeydra/gifts).
  * Translation into Русский available: [Соскальзывающие с нити](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3599016) by [Jiminy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jiminy/pseuds/Jiminy)



> Oh, look at this hot mess of a thing. I was trying to write something nice for Kendra as a good-luck-on-finals thing and it turned into total word-vomit.

Mitchell liked jewelry stores. 

Anders discovered this by accident, when he was buying Dawn probably his thousandth apology gift and Mitchell tagged along. 

Mitchell didn’t wear much jewelry, just a couple of rings that had some significance he didn’t talk about (not that Anders asked), so the way he trailed his way along the countertops, smudging the glass with his fingertips, bending here and there to peer more closely at this necklace or that bracelet.

Anders stepped up beside him, touched his chin to his shoulder, his hand sliding against the small of his back. “See something you like?”

“Oh!” Mitchell grinned at him, probably more sheepishly than he meant to, and shrugged one shoulder. “No. Not really. I was looking at the pearls.” Anders looked down into the case, saw the pearl necklace neatly displayed there. “My mum always said that pearls were for lovers.”

“For lovers?”

“Yes.” He wrinkled his nose, the corner of his mouth quirked up. “Sounds sort of silly now, doesn’t it? She said that if I ever loved a woman, she would know it if I gave her pearls.” 

“Not diamonds?” 

Mitchell snorted. “My mum had never seen a diamond - not in person. Probably never seen a pearl either, but they alway seemed more attainable.” 

Anders nodded carefully. “So you have a lady you want to buy pearls for, do you?” he teased gently, rubbing his thumb against his back through his t-shirt.

“Oh, yes.” Mitchell’s grin brightened, his dark eyes twinkling. “I’ve been cheating on you this whole time. You thought I moved all the way down to New Zealand for you? You’re just the money bags.” 

“That makes you my mistress.”

“That would make you my sugar daddy.”

Anders practically yelped at the thought of it. “Ugh. No. Gross. That makes me sound like an old pervert.”

“I’m sorry - what part of that is inaccurate exactly?”

Anders shoved his shoulder, then tossed his head in the direction of the door, leading them out. “You are certainly one to talk about being an old man.”

“Yes, you’re all children to me.”

“Well, that’s gross.”

“You started it.” He neatly nicked the bag from Ander’s hands, fishing the necklace box out. “Well, that’s gorgeous, isn’t it? But you know Dawn won’t forgive you that easily.”

“Dawn always realizes that she overreacted.”

“Anders. You got drunk and told a politician that Dawn was your wife who was very into swinging and also liked women.”

“I didn’t really, did I?”

“I witnessed it. Which means at tomorrow night’s banquet-gala-thing that you’re making me go to as your date, I’m going to be your chaperone.”

“What?” Anders balked at him. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Dawn does not agree. And she’s promised me that Ty will make me those cupcakes with the custard in the center if I do as she asks.”

Anders rolled his eyes, but drew him in closer to his side, and Mitchell kissed his hair. 

* * * 

“Oh, I am so happy to see that you scrub up well,” Anders teased, standing on his toes to kiss the nape of Mitchell’s neck. “I swear, I was afraid you were going to look like a biker in a suit and I was going to have to break up with you immediately.”

Mitchell turned to look at him, his nose scrunched up, fiddling with his cuffs. “Well, you couldn’t have made this much more fitted, could you? Honestly, I could have bought my own suit.”

“With what money? You would’ve shown up in something off the rack. As my boyfriend, you’ve got to look like you have some idea who Dolce and Gabbana are.” 

Mitchell scraped his fingernails through his hair, attempting to slick it back. “Are you sure you don’t want to just take Dawn as your date?”

“I promised her that this time, she could take Ty.” Anders tugged at his hand, sliding cufflinks into place for him. “Besides, don’t you think _I_ might want to show off my hot boyfriend from time to time?” 

“I’m just your trophy wife, aren’t I?”

“I thought we decided you were my mistress?” Anders leaned up to kiss him, hummed gratefully when Mitchell bent to meet him halfway. “You can’t be both, you know.” He tugged at his tie, then stepped away to grab his jacket. “It’s true then - you’re all just gold-diggers!” When Mitchell didn’t answer, he turned his grin toward him, found him staring down at his wrists. “What is it?”

“The cufflinks. They’re -”

“Pearls,” Anders finished for him, eyebrow quirked. Mitchell ran his fingers over them, looked at Anders with serious eyes. “You were pretty clear about what they meant. I wanted to be clear too.”


End file.
